Doctor Salary in Canada (What Physicians Are Paid)

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Physicians in Canada were paid an average of $383,000 gross in 2023–24, according to the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI). That is the average gross clinical payment per physician — before rent, staff and other practice costs — so it is not what a doctor takes home. This guide covers what the figure means, how it differs by province, and how incorporation affects the tax a physician pays.

What Doctors Are Paid on Average

CIHI’s National Physician Database tracks clinical payments made to physicians. For 2023–24 it reports total clinical payments of $34.6 billion and an average gross clinical payment of $383,000 per physician, up 3.9% from the year before.

Averages cover all physicians together, so they hide big differences between a family doctor, a surgeon and a part-time physician. CIHI publishes breakdowns by specialty group in its data tables; this page doesn’t reproduce figures it hasn’t checked, so use the CIHI tables for specialty-level numbers.

Doctor Salary by Province

CIHI reports that the average gross clinical payment per physician in 2023–24 ranged from $318,000 in Nova Scotia to $429,000 in Alberta. Provincial fee schedules, the mix of specialists and family doctors, and how doctors are paid (fee-for-service or other arrangements) all affect these averages.

Gross Payment vs Take-Home Income

A gross clinical payment is not take-home pay. Where a physician runs their own practice, the payment has to cover clinic rent, staff, equipment, supplies and professional fees such as CMPA membership, which vary by fee region and type of work. Physicians then pay income tax on what is left. How much of the gross payment is kept depends on the practice setting and what the physician pays for directly.

Take-Home Pay After Incorporation

Canadian physicians can practise through a professional corporation. For a Canadian-controlled private corporation claiming the small business deduction, the net federal tax rate is 9%, applied to active business income up to the business limit, which is $500,000 for a corporation not associated with any other. Provinces and territories add their own lower rate on that income.

By comparison, income above $258,482 in 2026 is taxed at 33% federally before the provincial or territorial rate is added. Money left inside the corporation is taxed at the lower corporate rate until it is paid out as salary or dividends, which defers part of the personal tax. The deferral is not a permanent saving, because personal tax is due when the money comes out.

Path to Becoming a Doctor

Tuition and debt differ widely by school and province.

Is Being a Doctor Worth It?

Pros:

• High income potential
• Job security
• Meaningful work
• Respected profession
• Flexibility (private practice)
• Strong pension options

Cons:

• Many years of training
• Significant debt
• High stress/burnout
• Bureaucracy
• On-call requirements
• Delayed wealth building

Related Guides

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Written by WealthVieu

WealthVieu researches and writes data-driven personal finance guides using primary sources including the IRS, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Federal Reserve, and Census Bureau.